Augustín Fernández Paz: Spain ★ Author

“Literature is born of memory and imagination. All of the books which I have written, like the frames of a canvas, are created combining the threads of my life.”

Augustín Fernández Paz

Born in Vilalba in 1947, Augustín Fernández Paz grew up in post-war Galicia. He left his hometown when he was only thirteen to attend the Universidad Laboral Gijón and earned his trade as an industrial machinery inspector. However, in addition to an affinity for mathematics and physics, Paz also had a great love of reading which was passed on to him by his father. While he was doing his military service at a camp in Monte la Reina, a tent mate who knew of his love of reading began to bring him books from his private library. Paz had not been allowed to read these books before because of the Facist Regime. The experience if reading the works of writers such as Kafka, Beckett, Camus, and Russell, among others, inspired Paz and off ered him new perspective on life. After two years of working in Barcelona, and becoming involved in cultural activities like theater, music, and cinema, Paz moved back to Galicia and studied to become a teacher.

Paz taught for over thirty years, beginning in the 1970s, a career that saw a great deal of political and social change. Amidst these changes, Paz became involved in educational reform, and has since developed pedagogies that promote reading, the introduction of communication media in the classroom, and promotion of the Galician language. It was to this end that he began to write books. He filled the gap needed when the Galician language began to be taught and spoken in schools: the need for Galician children’s and young adult’s literature. In addition to novels, he has also written a number of theoretical texts and didactic materials, and has now published more than forty-five titles.

In his writing, Paz follows his belief that books should expand our imaginations. His frequent use of realistic stories, inspired by real life experiences, combined with fantastic elements makes his works fascinating for all age groups, including adults. He speaks about universal human themes, such as love, with knowledge and an acknowledgement of all their complexities. He deals with social questions and issues in a way that transforms them, or at least gives them that possibility. Through his writing, Paz often deals with the repercussions of the Spanish Civil War because he knows and believes that knowledge is necessary to bring healing.